Related by Heart
by xorie5
Summary: Before Lois, before Lana, There was Kiley, whom Clark came to love as a sister. This is the story of that sister. Starts in high school and moves up through Superman Returns. This will still be ClarkLois.
1. Chapter 1

Ok, so I had this idea, what if someone in Smallville had accidentally seen Clark use his powers when he thought no one was looking? This is going to start in Smallville, and move up through everything up to and possibly after Superman Returns. It will NOT be a Clark/OC, but the OC, Kiley, will have a major part in this story. Hope you all like!

* * *

As the sun's first beams of light filtered through the window, Kiley sat up and stretched. Twisting her back from side to side, she grinned as her back popped. After that ritual was done, she reached over and turned off her alarm. In 16 years of life, she had only slept until the actual alarm a handful of times. No matter the day, she would always end up waking a few minutes before it was set to go off. Now she swung her legs out of bed and crossed over to her window, opening it to the cool spring breeze. Taking a deep breath she raised her hands high over her head and just reached. Kiley always loved a good stretch, and it felt particularly good this morning. Especially since it kept her mind off of the three tests she had to take in class today. With a sigh, she came away from the window and started getting ready for school.

* * *

BBBRRRRRIIIINGG! Kiley winced as the school bell rang overhead. Why did the thing always have to ring as she was walking right underneath it? And why did it always have to be so loud? After a moment, she groaned. The second bell. She was late. Again. The sound of the doors opening had her turning around to watch as someone else who was late entered the school building. She smiled as she saw her neighbor, Clark Kent hurry through the double doors.

"Hey Clark!" she called out, grinning as she made him jump in surprise. He looked up at her and grinned in return.

"Late again Kiley?" he asked, coming up the stairs to join her. Kiley just rolled her eyes.

"Yes, so what, you are too."

"Yeah, but I don't do it on a regular basis." He countered, falling into rhythm next to her as they walked together to their fist class. Kiley stuck her tongue out at him, opting to be immature rather than to admit that he was right. He just grinned at her, knowing that he was right.

"So, why are you late? Seeing as you aren't late on a _regular basis_" Kiley asked. Clark just raised his eye brows at her.

"I had to help my mom with something on the farm. My dad's out of town, so I was drafted. It took a little longer than she thought it would, so I'm late." He explained, turning the corner in the hallway. "You?"

"Uhh,.." Kiley stalled, not wanting him to know the real reason. "I, uh."

Now it was Clark's turn to roll his eyes.

"Not taking pictures again, are you?" Immediately she started to make up an excuse, but Clark just held up his hand. Kiley sighed.

"Yeah, but, I couldn't help it! There were some new calves in the field, and the lighting was perfect! I had to take the shot! Come on Clark, you know I can't resist a good picture." She was going to continue but Clark stopped her.

"Never mind." With that, he reached in front of her and pulled open the classroom door. "Ladies first." He said with a wicked smile. Kiley sighed dejectedly and walked into the classroom, knowing the lecture that was to come was going to be a doozy. Last time she had been late, Mr. Daniels had implied a humiliating lecture was imminent, and her gut told her that today was her day.

All motion in the class room stopped as she stepped in, Clark following behind her. Mr. Daniels ignored her for the moment, turning to look at Clark.

"Kent, why are you late?" he asked, his voice deceptively gentle. Clark turned his honest blue eyes on him, and told the same story that he had told Kiley. Kiley had to keep her jaw from dropping as Mr. Daniels accepted Clark's excuse and told him to sit, only telling him not to be late again. That almost never happened, Daniels _always_ had something demoralizing to say if you did anything wrong in his class. Her surprise was cut short and turned to dread, as he turned his eyes on her. Unconsciously, she took a step backwards, as if trying to put as much distance as possible between her and the teacher.

"And how about _you_, miss Morgan? Why do you grace my classroom0," he checked his watch, "7 min after the bell has rung?" His voice was still gentle, as though it were just a casual conversation about the weather.

Kiley gulped, her eyes immediately darting to where Clark was sitting, his face screwed up in something that looked like he was fighting between pity and hilarity. "I, uh, was running late and missed the bus." Mentally she crossed her fingers. It was true that she missed the bus, but that had been on purpose.

Mr. Daniels' stare hardened, but his voice was just as gentle. "I see. And because your farm is such a long way from the school, you must have run to get here by now." He nodded to himself, turning away and strolling to his desk. "I must say miss Morgan, that you must be remarkably fit to run here in such a short time, and not even be out of breath. Maybe you should try out for the cross country team." He paused and turned around. "Oh, wait, I forgot, you recently injured your knee, and were excused from all running in Physical Education." A few snickers echoed in the silent classroom, only to be cut off as Mr. Daniels raked his gaze across his students. It took another 5 minutes before Mr. Daniels was sufficiently satisfied in her humiliation before letting her take her seat. Right before she sat however, his voice cut across the room to her.

"I'm going to have to take your camera Morgan." She froze, her eyes meeting Clark's for a second. His eyes seemed to say, _I'll help, tell him you don't have it with you. _She held his gaze for a moment longer; trying to be sure that was what he was trying to tell her. With a slight nod, she turned back to her teacher.

"I don't have it with me Mr. Daniels." Her heart about stopped when he only raised a single eyebrow at her.

"Really?" he walked behind his desk and steepled his fingers. "Would you care if I looked?" Kiley's mind was racing. If she didn't let him, he would know that she was lying, and would probably get into much more trouble. But then, her camera was well hidden. Unless he emptied her entire backpack. With a little prayer, she hoped Clark had found it, though it was probably extremely unlikely that he had. Resigning herself to her fate, she nodded, picked up her bag from in front of Clark's desk and walked to the front. She set down loudly on Mr. Daniel's desk, then stepped back. Shooting a nervous glance back at Clark, she turned to watch in horror as Mr. Daniels turned her bag upside down and dumped all of it's contents on his desk. She winced, praying fiercely now that her camera hadn't been broken in the fall.

Her heart beating wildly in her chest, she watched as Mr. Daniels went through everything, even unwrapping her phys ed uniform. When it was clear that the camera wasn't on the table, she allowed herself to breath. She kept her face carefully blank as Mr. Daniels motioned for her to put everything back and then take her seat. She knew that she had just gotten away with her life, and now was deeply in debt to Clark.

When she reached her chair, it took everything she had not to just collapse into it in relief. That would be too obvious. She waited for 10 long minutes to go by before she even pulled out the paper that she intended to write her thank you note on. When Mr. Daniels turned to write the instructions for the first test on the board, she snaked her hand back, and waited for Clark to grab the note. When he didn't take it, she waved it wildly, knowing that Daniels could turn around at any second. Finally she felt the note being taken from her hand, and immediately started to write what Mr. Daniels was writing on the board.

* * *

Clark almost missed the note being waved in front of him. As soon as the flashing paper caught his attention, he grabbed the paper out of her hand. He grinned as he unfolded it.

_Clark,_

_You. Are. A . Lifesaver. End of story. I owe youbig time. Though how the heck did you find my camera so fast? I can barely find it sometimes. But never mind, I still owe you. I know, I'll take you out to dinner or something. Or I'll find a really good picture and have it framed for you, then you can sell it for a lot of money when I become rich and famous for my photography. Just kidding. Thanks again!_

_Kiley_

Clark smiled as he refolded the note and put it into his bag. He knew how he could find her camera so quickly. But not that he was going to tell her how…


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary change: Here's a thank you shout out to Shanobi who came up with the first part of it. Thanks!**

* * *

After the final bell rang at school, everyone breathed a sigh of relief. It was the signal that they were done with half the finals for the school year. Kiley jumped from her chair, grabbed her bag, and then raced for the door. She wanted to be able to wait outside the school for Clark. He still hadn't given her camera back, and she wanted to thank him again in person.

Waiting by the school's front doors, Kiley kept an eye out for Clark. She finally spotted him making his way out of the school 5 min after she had.

"Hey Clark!" she called out, waving her hand so that he could see her. Clark grinned and waved back, a smile already lighting his face. Quickly he made his way over to her, pulling his backpack from his shoulders. When he reached her he set it down and pulled out her camera.

"Here, thought you might want this back."

Kiley lunged forward, grabbing the camera with both hands and cradled it to her chest.

"Thank you thank you thank you thank you!" she laughed, wanting to do a little dance. "I was sure I was dead when Daniels dumped my bag." She paused, "how did you find it so fast? I always hide it just in case." Clark grinned and shrugged.

"It wasn't that hard to find. Maybe you didn't hide it as well this time." Kiley wasn't so sure about that, she always took extra care to hide the camera, but she let it slide.

"Well thanks again. I still owe you. What do you want?" she grinned at him as he contemplated what he wanted.

"Didn't you say something about feeding me? Let's start there." He offered her his arm companionably and she took it, hooking her arm through his. Together they left the school and headed towards home.

* * *

"Kiley, please! This is the third time we've stopped!" Clark groaned as Kiley pulled her arm from his again to grab her camera from her bag. He rolled his eyes as she scurried around the dirt road, trying to get the best light on the crow that had landed on the scarecrow in the middle of the corn field. 

"I'm sorry! I can't help it. This is just too good to let go! And keep you voice down, you might scare him away." Quietly she climbed the fence to get as close as she could to the crow. As soon as he shifted, Kiley froze, not wanting him to fly away. Slowly she lifted the camera to her eye, and focused on the bird. Quickly she took a few pictures, just to make sure that one didn't come out blurry. Suddenly there was a loud clap behind her, and the bird took off in fright. Immediately her finger pressed down, and a picture was snapped. She held her breath as she realized she might have just gotten the best picture she had taken in a while. But then, that didn't stop her from turning and pouncing on Clark, who was standing on the other side of the fence looking innocent.

"You! What if I hadn't taken the picture yet?" She vaulted the fence and landed next to him, standing as tall as her 5 foot 5 frame would allow her. She walked up to Clark and poked him hard in the chest, looking up into his face. "Hmmm? What if you ruined my chance for the photo contest next month?"

"But you had already taken a few, and I wanted to go." Kiley rolled her eyes.

"How did you know I had taken some already?" Clark shrugged and tapped his ear.

"Good hearing." He replied with a cheeky smile. Kiley was forced to resist the urge to roll her eyes again at his response. She sighed gustily and picked up her bag again, and headed down the road.

"So, we gonna stop at your house?" she asked casually, stopping in the middle of the road to wait for Clark.

"Nah, I'm thinking I would just drop my stuff off then head to your house." Clark bit his tongue as he said this to keep from laughing at the dismayed expression on Kiley's face.

"We're not going to stop?" the pleading in Kiley's voice was barely audible, but Clark could hear it. He couldn't help but grin.

"Ok, we can stop, _and_ I'll ask my mom for some of her spinach puffs."

"Spinach Puffs!" Kiley nearly shrieked. Now Clark was helpless to keep from laughing.

"I'm kidding Kiley. She was planning baking this morning, so you're in luck; you still get to stuff your face full of her cookies. Again."

Kiley looked up at Clark with a slightly frustrated look on her face. "You know Clark, you aiming to get yourself beat up by a girl. I'm warning you now; because I'm gonna kick your butt in a second!" With that she jumped on his back, locking her legs around his waist.

"Kiley!" Clark laughed, trying to get her off his back. Kiley just laughed and held on more tightly as Clark spun back and forth, trying to dislodge her from his back. After a few more moments, Clark realized that he wasn't going to be able to dislodge the girl from his back. He stopped his efforts, and groaned.

"Kiley, you need to get off now." He stopped to see if she would comply. When she didn't, he went on, using the only blackmail that he knew would work.

"I'll tell my mother that you aren't allowed to eat her baking anymore because you have been ruining your appetite for you dinner at home, and your father doesn't want you eating her stuff anymore." He couldn't help but grin as she leaped off his back and landed on the ground.

"Don't you dare, Clark Kent. You know full well that isn't true. You wouldn't lie to your mother anyway."

"It got you off my back, didn't it?" he said with a sly smirk. He jumped back as she lunged for him again. He avoided her for a few seconds, then held up his hands in a show of peace.

"Truce?" he asked, sticking his hand out for her to shake. Kiley sighed.

"Truce." She grabbed his hand and squeezed, meaning to get him back a little, but was surprised when he didn't even flinch. She looked up into his smirking face, an eyebrow raised in her direction.

"I saw that coming from a mile away." He explained. She grinned and dropped his hand, and started down the road again.

* * *

"Really Mrs. Kent, you cook too well to be allowed too. I mean, you could sell these snickerdoodles and make a fortune!" Kiley divulged while sitting on a stool in the Kent kitchen, her feet swinging back and forth under the counter. Her red hair was down and fell over her shoulders as she ate. Impatiently she pushed it back behind her again. 

"Guess what? Mr. Daniels chewed me out again for being late. He was going to take my camera, but Clark saved my life when he took it out of my bag before I brought my bag up to Daniels' desk." Martha eyed her with a knowing look.

"You were late. Again." She raised her eyes to the ceiling. "Why am I not surprised to find out that it was because you were taking pictures?" Kiley shrugged and took another bite of the cookie.

"I can't help it. Do you understand me, how do I explain...? I mean, it's something I _have_ to do. I can't help myself. If I see something beautiful, I want to be able to capture it forever. That's what a picture is. A moment captured forever, the moment might be gone the next minute, but by taking the picture, you have a chance of saving it." She was silent for a minute. "Sometimes I wish I had taken more pictures of my mother before she died."

Martha smiled softly as she brought another batch of baked goods out of the pantry. Kiley's mom, Margaret Morgan had died in a car accident while on her way back from visiting her sister in Willowdale. That had been 4 years ago, and Kiley still didn't talk about her mother often. Martha had been supportive, always being there to listen whenever Kiley needed someone to talk to.

Taking the goodies, she placed them on a large plate and wrapped them up in plastic, then tucked them in a small basket along with a loaf of banana bread that she had made that morning. With a smile she placed it in front of Kiley, laughing at the awed looked on her face.

"Here, take some home, but make sure to share with your pa."

"Really?" At her shocked tone Martha let out another laugh.

"Really Kiley." At her words, Kiley shot up off the stool, and ran to give Martha a hug.

"Thank you Mrs. Kent." She held on tightly to the woman. "Knowing you're here is almost like having mom back. Thank you." Martha returned the embrace just as fiercely as she felt tears sting her eyes. She looked over the girl's shoulder to see her son, Clark, standing in the doorway to the kitchen. She sent him a watery smile, then let go of Kiley.

"Now you go and keep Clark out of trouble. I hear you owe him a dinner at the diner." Kiley smiled, her mood soaring.

"Don't worry Mrs. Kent, I won't let him do anything too illegal." She giggled as Clark made a snorting noise behind her. Quickly she rose up on her toes to give Martha a kiss on the cheek, then grabbed the basket, gave Clark a friendly shove, and then disappeared out the door.

Clark watched Kiley play with their new puppy for a few moments before walking up to his mother.

"Mom?" he asked, concerned about the tears he had seen earlier in her eyes.

"Don't worry Clark, I'm fine. We just had a little chat. Nothing to worry about." She gave his shoulder a squeeze to let him know that she was fine, then walked back to the kitchen. "You're father is coming home late tonight, so your chores had better be done by the time he gets home." Clark grinned.

"Don't worry mom, they will be." With that he followed Kiley out the door and into the yard.

**

* * *

Yeah, I know, a filler chapter, but it explains a little of who she is, and a little insight on why photography is so big for her. Don't worry though, there's more coming. I'm already writing the next chapter! **


	3. Chapter 3

"So, what are you going to order?" Kiley asked, looking over her own menu. It was a week later, and Kiley had finally found the time to make good her promise of buying him dinner. The two were seated in a booth by the window in the local diner. Clark grinned at her from above his menu.

"Whatever's the most expensive thing on the menu of course. It's not everyday that you buy me dinner."

Kiley sighed dramatically while Clark chuckled, and resigned herself to the fact that she was going to be sucked dry on this trip. Though she figured she had enough money for whatever he wanted with her in her pocket. When the waitress came around, Kiley ordered a side of chili cheese fries, and then looked expectantly at Clark. She was surprised when he only ordered a burger and fries. As soon as the waiter walked away, she opened her mouth to make fun of his choice, but he beat her to speaking.

"I know you're saving for a new camera Kiley, I wasn't about to make you spend more then you need too. I know how much you've been waiting for it."

Kiley's mouth wanted to drop open. She didn't know that he knew she was very close to her goal, and only needed another $50. It wouldn't have been that big of a deal if he wanted to order the fattest steak on the menu, but having him being considerate made her want to jump up and give him a hug. Luckily for Clark, she restrained herself.

"So, what photo are you going to submit for the photography contest?" Clark asked as they waited for their food. At the mention of the contest, Kiley jumped excitedly and reached into her bag.

"Oh! I almost forgot that I picked up my pictures earlier today. I haven't had a chance to look at them yet." With a smile she pulled them out and laid them on the table. Clark got up and sat next to her, making it easier for both of them to look at the photos. Slowly she flipped through them, scrutinizing each one as she came across them. Then, as she pulled one, she couldn't help but gasp.

It was the picture of the crow over the scarecrow's head. His dark wings were outstretched, and the sun was a golden glow, lighting him from behind. When Clark saw the picture she held in her hand he whistled softly.

"Wow Kiley, that's an amazing photo. I would use that one if I were you." Kiley nodded absently, still awe struck by the perfection of the picture. Every detail was perfect.

"Wow is right Clark; and you know what? This picture is all your fault. If you hadn't scared the crow away, I never would have gotten the shot." She looked up at him with a smile. "Thanks."

The waitress then came with their food, holding it impatiently and snapping her gum while the two scrambled to put the photos away. They ate in a companionable silence, each comfortable with the other. The front door bell jingled, and Kiley swung around to see Lana Lang walk into the diner with her family. She turned back around to see Clark staring. When he didn't stop after a few moments, she couldn't help but grin.

"So, you like Lana, do you?" she said, her grin widening when Clark's blue eyes snapped back to her.

"No!"

Kiley rolled her eyes. "Denial. That's the only sure way to know that the person in front of you is lying." She inspected her nails casually, as if there was nothing better for her to do at the moment. "Ok, so if I decided to call her over here, you wouldn't squirm at all?" Her eyes flicked back up to watch his face. She was forced to use her hand to try and wipe the grin off her face. Clark was indeed squirming already in his seat.

"Alright, I won't, but next time, I wouldn't suggest telling me something that isn't true."

Clark glared at her, and then went back to eating his food, pointedly ignoring Kiley. She just giggled quietly, and ate her own food. When she was done, the waitress came back, and asked if they wanted anything else. Clark shook his head, but Kiley ordered for them both.

"We'll have the banana split, but two scoops of chocolate, and no strawberry ice cream. Oh, and could you bring that out with two spoons please?" the waitress nodded, not even bothering to write down the order. When she left, Kiley turned back to Clark who had a single eyebrow raised at her.

"No strawberry ice cream?" he asked. Kiley nodded absently.

"Nope, I'm allergic to certain red food colorings, so I tend to stay away from anything that's even slightly pink. Besides, chocolate is way better."

When their dessert came, Kiley held out a spoon to Clark.

"This is thanks for the great photo. Now I know I have a good chance at at least placing in the contest." She clinked her spoon against his, and then dug in.

They had almost finished eating when the door jingled again. This time it was Ben Hubbard, and he was looking for someone in the diner. His gaze lighted on Clark, and he immediately came their way.

"Clark! I've been looking all over for you! You're needed back at home. Something's happened to your horse."

Kiley watched as the blood drained from Clark's face.

"What? What happened?" Ben shrugged and scratched his head.

"I don't rightly know, but your Momma said something about him being hobbled and tied with his saddle on, but hanging under his belly. Neither of your folks can get near him. They want you to come right away." He started to walk away. "Hurry boy, I'll take you back in my truck." Clark looked back at Kiley.

"Sorry Kiley, but I've gotta go. Sorry." With those words he was hurrying out after Ben. Kiley looked back at the last of the uneaten dessert, her appetite leaving her as she thought about poor Clark. Suddenly an idea sprang into her mind. She got up and walked over to where Lana was sitting with her family.

"Hey Lana, how's it going?" She and Lana had been casual friends for years, and had always taken the time to talk at least briefly. Lana turned away from her little sister and smiled at Kiley.

"I'm fine. You?" Kiley nodded her head.

"Same, but I'm worried a bit for Clark." She lowered her voice so that the parent's wouldn't be able to hear what she said next. "You wouldn't happen to know anything about why his horse is now tied and suffering, would you?" Lana looked at her sharply, then back at her parents. Pleading a restroom break, she excused herself from the table and walked purposely towards the ladies room.

When they were alone, Lana turned to Kiley.

"You know the other day, when Clark stopped Brad and his friends from picking on Josie?" Kiley nodded, remembering the incident.

"Well, this isn't the first time that Clark's gotten in his way, and I heard them talking about getting back at him. I would assume that they did this." She put her hand to her mouth. "Oh! I wish he wouldn't be so mean. He's really nice to me."

"Lana, Brad's only nice to you because he likes you. You know that. He's really a jerk. I wish you wouldn't hang out with him." Lana just rolled her eyes.

"He's only mean when he's in a bad mood. Kiley, you just don't like him." Kiley cocked her head and gave a little snort.

"You're right, I don't. And I think you should stay away from him."

"Come off it Kiley, I happen to like Brad, so lay off. I can handle myself." With that, Lana left the room, leaving the door swinging behind her. Kiley stood there for a few moments before leaving herself. She grabbed her check, and then walked up to the counter to pay her bill.

Kiley arrived at the Kent farm half an hour later. She hadn't been able to catch a ride from town, and was left to walk the miles back by herself. When she arrived, she promptly went into the house to find Martha.

"Mrs. Kent?" she called into the house.

"In the kitchen Kiley." Came the reply. Walking into the cozy kitchen, Kiley found Martha washing the dishes from the dinner she and Jonathan had just shared. She watched for a few moments, and then asked.

"What happened?" Martha sighed, put the last dish into the drying rack, and then turned to face her.

"Someone came to the farm while John and I were inside eating dinner. They broke the lock to the barn and took Saxon from his stall. They tied him up to the fence post, leaving his saddle under his belly with the girth cinched too tight. And if that wasn't enough, they tied his back left leg to the fence as well. They must have teased him, for all of a sudden, he started making a horrendous racket, and when we got outside, no one was there but Saxon. John couldn't get anywhere near him, and wouldn't let me try." Martha slapped her hand on the counter in anger.

"Saxon could have been seriously hurt. We're extremely lucky that he wasn't, and that he trusts Clark enough to have let him get him out."

As Kiley listened to the story, she felt her blood rise. That was a little far for anyone to go, just because they stopped them from picking on someone. Her green eyes snapped as she thought about what Brad and his cronies were probably doing right now. They were probably laughing at their little "joke". Well it wasn't funny, and she wasn't laughing. Taking a deep breath, Kiley controlled her temper, locking it away until she could get home and hit her pillow. When she was calm again, she looked up at Martha.

"Where's Clark?" Martha paused for moment thinking.

"I think he went down by the tree behind the barn. He's pretty worked up right now, so be careful."

A little confused at the warning on the end of Martha's sentence, Kiley thanked her, and then strode out the door. She walked over behind the barn and stood by the fence, watching as Clark paced angrily back and forth in front of the tree. She watched in surprise. Never before had she seen him so angry. It made her want to get revenge on Brad increase greatly. She watched for a few more moments as Clark continued to vent. He was muttering angrily to himself, but Kiley couldn't make out what he was saying.

Suddenly, as Clark passed the tree again, his fist snapped out, embedding itself deep into the bark. Kiley couldn't stop her eyes from widening, or the startled gasp escaped from her lips, as she saw Clark pull his hand back from _inside_ the tree.

At the sound of her gasp, Clark's head jerk towards her, his eyes going round. He took a step towards her, opening his mouth to speak, but she immediately scrambled backwards, almost tripping over her own feet in her hurry to get away. Fear and confusion drove her to turn and run, looking over her shoulder constantly to see if he was following her. Her heart pounding in her ears, Kiley sprinted as fast as she could away from one of the best friends she had ever had.

* * *

_wow... this was actually a very hard chapter to write. I hit a minor writer's block for about 2 days, but luckily got back on track. I hope you enjoyed this chapter, more coming soon._


End file.
